Date: 03-Sep-87 23:11 MST
Subj: APne 09/04 0034 Stray Balloon LJ
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- A Lincoln police officer saw an unidentified flying
object descending on Union College, but his other-worldly experience turned out
to be a blimp gone astray.
The officer was on patrol early Thursday when he saw an object descending
over the college campus, said Lt. Jon Briggs. It turned out to be a large helium
balloon in the shape of a blimp that had come unhitched from a new Runza Drive
Inn, Briggs said.
The officer tried to grab the blimp but was nearly pulled into the air by it,
Briggs said. In the end, it took three officers to bring the balloon under
control, he said.
The blimp, which Runza store manager Karolyn Johnston said appears to have
been released deliberately, was an advertisement for the new store, which opened
Sunday.
Johnston said police told her citizens were calling them and reporting a UFO
sailing over Lincoln.
Copyright 1987 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.